Award-winning Texas country music artist Hayden Baker recently released a ten-track album called “Alive and Well,” a perfect blend of honky-tonk tunes and storytelling ballads. Once I heard it, I knew I wanted to feature him.
Like many country artists, he was all about sports growing up. Baseball and football were his passions. It wasn’t until he was 16 that he picked up a guitar.
He stated, “It must have been a God thing because for whatever reason, when I picked up the six-string, it came easily. And with that, I got obsessed pretty quickly.”
Also, like many country artists, an injury in college led him to pursue something different than sports. He joked, “Our egos get the best of us, and we have to find another way to be in the spotlight.”
After elbow surgery, Baker started singing in front of others and started writing songs. He formed a band, and they played throughout Texas. “I caught the bug, and I haven’t stopped since,” he explained.
Now, after seven years, four albums, an EP, more than 200 songs and over 500 shows, Baker’s music has amassed more than 2 million streams in 2025 alone. Ballads like “Letting You Go” and “Is It Cold in Oklahoma” showcase the emotional depth of his vocals, while tracks like “We Should Do This More Often” and “Midnight Drive” highlight his story-driven lyricism. Songs such as “Barely Gettin’ By” and “Country Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” cement him as one of the finest guitar-playing artists of his generation.
Baker’s guitar sensibilities are highly influenced by one of country’s greatest guitarists, Brad Paisley. Paisley even gifted him a highly prized Telecaster and played with him on the raging instrumental, “Don’t Meet Your Heroes,” which is chock full of remarkable riffs and intricate fingering. Paisley has praised him as “an old-school Tele ripper.”
The honky-tonkiest song he has so far is “At Least I’m Here.” It is a fan favorite. With the words, So I’m tying on a high and lonesome/ Til I ain’t feelin’ no pain/ I’m gonna park my butt on this bar stool/ Till they drag my ass away you are drawn into his misery after his girl left him.
Before releasing “Alive and Well,” Baker took a year off to focus on songwriting. There are several heartbreak songs on the record, like the old school “Home Into a House,” the thoughtful “I Wasn’t Gonna Drink Tonight,“ and the tongue-in-cheek “I Had a Headache Once” (but I left her). And while Baker is getting married in 2026, he states he is in a great relationship, and that’s not where the song ideas come from.
He shared, “I feel like we have heartbreak in different areas, whether it be your significant other, friends or family. We pulled from different places. But on “Alive and Well,” we found it easier to write sad songs. That’s the norm for most of us old, traditional country fans.”
But in the end, he comes out alive and well, as stated in the album’s final song, “Country Ain’t Going Nowhere.” With the Texas fiddling and the heartfelt words, Bending those strings till his fingers bleed/ Got no time for play / WSM on the radio, saying that will be me one day, he forecasts his own rise to fame in the wistful song.
“That’s kind of the crux of country music right now, alive and well as it’s ever been. This resurgence of neo-traditionalism is just more traditional-sounding production and honest lyrics and all that kind of stuff,” Baker stated.
Baker’s guitar prowess, combined with storytelling and songwriting skills, has earned praise from peers including Wade Bowen (“ready and deserves to be heard”) and Aaron Watson (“No one is writing like this guy, no one is singing like this guy and no one is playing like this guy”).
He said, “A catalog full of great songs, a great band and great guitar tone is all I need. All the other stuff will take care of itself.”
With “Alive and Well,” Baker solidifies his reputation as both a fiery performer and a songwriter with substance, establishing himself as a rising force in Texas country music and beyond.
Be sure to follow Hayden Baker on his website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and all streaming platforms.
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram and X.